Improvement in miter-boxes



A. F. STRNG.

Miter-Boxes. N0. 152,529, Patented June 30,1874.

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AUGUSTUS F. STRONG, OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MITER-BOXES.

Specification forming` part of Letters Patent No. 152,529, dated June 30, 1874; application filed November 19, 1873.

To all whom it may concemzf:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS F. STRONG, of Northampton, Hampshire county, State of l\lassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Miter-Boxes, of which the following is a speciieation:

My invention relates more particularly to improvements upon the patent of L. W'. Langdon, reissued August 20, 1872', No. 5,037, in which the two cylindrical sa w-guides are free to more vertically in sleeves from the bed of the miter-box to permit the saw to accomm0- date itself to varying thickness of stuft' beneath it 5 and my improvements being based upon the employment of saw-guides so operating relate, first, to peculiarities in the construction of the rigid connection between the two guides; secondly, to the device for enabling the saw, by means of the guides, to be raised to clear the bed before swinging the saw over the bed; thirdly, to the devices for arresting the saw through the guides when it is desired to form a tenen; fourthly, to the device, in .combination with the guides, by which a panel-saw can be substituted at will for the back saw generally used; and, ifthly, to providing the bed with a friction-surface, to assist in retaining the stock in place.

In the drawings, Figure I is a vertical crosssection of the miter-box having my improvements. Fig. II is a top view oi' the guides with their connecting-bar; and Fig. III is a detail view.

The sleeves B C, in which play vertically the saw-guides D E, rise from the ends of their connecting-bar F, which extends beneath the bed G ofthe box, and one sleeve, B, being swiveled to the side of the box at b. The other one, C, is free to be'swung at any angle to the edge of the `bed in the plane of the bed. A semicireular track, d, provided with notches, and having the sleeve B for its center, is attached beneath the bed, and has one notch caught bythe spring-pawl g hung in the bar F. The number and position of the notches of the track d correspond with the angles at which it is desired to form miters, and the pawl g is released from a notch in the selnieirole when it is desired to swing the bar F with the saw-guides into a different position, To these elements of the device I make no claim; but heretofore it has been necessary when the saw has passed through the stock upon the bed of the box and into the bed for the reception of its teeth, in order to swing it to a diii'erent angle, to grasp the saw to lift it with one hand while releasing the pawl and swinging the bar F with the other, while by combining' with the lever 7L, having the pawl g, the lever K, and providing their ends immediately. beneath the sleeves B C with the adjustable stops m a, I cause the movement' given the lever h to release the pawl to simultaneously extend to both the guides D and E, holding the saw by means of the adjustable stops m n coming in contact with them beneath to raise them, so that the one movement of releasing the pawl also raises the saw above the bed. This is shown in Fig. I, where it will be seen that the stops m a rise from the ends of the levers within the sleeves B C, and come in contact with the base of the guides D E. The stops are made adjustable to permit the wear oi' the saws to be compensated for by having the rests allowed to sink lower in their guides, and to enable different-sized saws to be used. Y Y

Hitherto the maximum width of stock that could be mitered has depended upon the width of the bed of the miter-box or upon the fixed distance between the guides or saw-rests, but by causing the sleeve C to rise from a slotted slide, 0, resting upon bar F, and held to it by the ela1npscrewfw,I am able to obtain a large adjustment ot' the guides D E to increased width of stock to be mitered; and in order that the stop n may follow the guide C in its extension, I sleeve the stem p, to which the lstop is immediately attached loosely in the part h forming the spring-pawl, so that the stop can always be retained within the sleeve C.

` In Fig. III is shown stock removed from the base of the guides D E upon one side to form the slot a', toflet the guides low enough in the sleeves B G before being' stopped by the screws on a, to permit the saw to pass entirely through the stuit" in the miter-box, while by simply turning each guide within its sleeve until reversed, the stops hold the saw from passing through the stoel: upon the bed. I also employ the adjustable arrests M Mgformed, as shown in Fig. I, upon sleeves B U ot' sliding pieces, clamped, by thumb screws, to the sleeve, and having their ends k It' catching beneath the shoulders o 'v of the guides to hold the saw by means of them at the desired distance from the bed G.

In order that panel-saws may be used with the miter-box, when desired, in place of the saw provided lWith a back to move in the slots in the heads of the guides, I construct a back which is adjustable to the various-sized panelsaivs, and which consists of a bar, O, tting Within the slots to guide the back, and having from it the clamps X Y, which receive the saw, as shown in Fig. I, and being tightened by thumb-screws, y, hold it securely. The clamp Y is secured to the end of the bar O by the thumb-screw so that the bar may be released from the clamp to be inserted or Withdrawn from the guides D E.

That the Work may be retained in the {irmest manner upon the bed G of the box, I form the bed of a rough sand or emery surface, which from experiment I find prevents in a great measure'any tendency of the stock to slip While being operated upon.

I am aware that a thumb-latch and single lever have been used in a miter-boX, whereby one end of the saw could be raised up with its guide. This I do not claim; but

W'hat I claim isl. The combination of the guides D E, the levers K and h, substantially as shown, Whereby the saw guides D E are simultaneously raised within their sleeves by the motion imparted to release the pawl g.

2. In combination with the bar F', the slide o, with sleeve C and guide E, and sleeved stem p with adjusting-screw a, when operating together in the manner and for the purpose as shown and described.

3. In combination with the adjustable stops on a, the slots w in the guides I) E, for the purpose as set forth.

4. In combination with guides D E projecting above the saw, the temporary saw-back, consisting of bar O, having the adjustable clamps X Y connected to down-hangers suspended from said temporary saw-back, so as to render available the Whole Width of the saw, substantially as shown and described.

5. In combination with the bed G ot' a miterbox, the rough bearing-surface, as shown and described.

AUGUsTUs F.'Y STRONG.

Titn esscs:

R. F. HYDE, WM. L. SMITH. 

